Monticello is close to the city, once had multiple connections, and is visible from some locations, yet it is difficult to get there without a car. This discontinuity poses problems of unrealized opportunity and equity for Monticello, the city, and the region.
In 2000, the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, which owns and operates Monticello, covered half the distance to town by opening the Saunders-Monticello Trail. This winding, two-mile pathway is accessible under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards and its beauty attracts visitors from a diversity of backgrounds. Combined with the adjoining parkland, it is a wildly successful landscape and a
destination in its own right. Yet a challenging half-mile gap remains between the gateway trail and the population center.
The remaining gap, the subject of this study, is small but complicated. The area is split between Charlottesville and Albemarle County’s municipal jurisdictions, with Interstate 64 and a high-speed divided multi-lane roadway (VA-20) in the domain of the Virginia Department of Transportation. The highway interchange itself is a formidable physical and psychological barrier--there are no sidewalks or bicycle infrastructure. There are multiple institutional landowners as well, most of whom would like to bridge the gap in bicycle and pedestrian access.
As part of its decennial regional multimodal review, the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission (TJPDC) sponsored this research to support local governments and stakeholders working to complete this connection.
Stakeholders requested five areas of investigation:
The research team reviewed applicable planning and transportation documents, subject-area literature, and case studies. We met regularly with stakeholders, technical experts, and community groups. We conducted a highly successful survey, with in-person and email components, which yielded 1,010 responses in 18 days. We looked at trail usership data from counting devices and performed geospatial analyses of the identified corridors.
In 2000, the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, which owns and operates Monticello, covered half the distance to town by opening the Saunders-Monticello Trail. This winding, two-mile pathway is accessible under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards and its beauty attracts visitors from a diversity of backgrounds. Combined with the adjoining parkland, it is a wildly successful landscape and a
destination in its own right. Yet a challenging half-mile gap remains between the gateway trail and the population center.
The remaining gap, the subject of this study, is small but complicated. The area is split between Charlottesville and Albemarle County’s municipal jurisdictions, with Interstate 64 and a high-speed divided multi-lane roadway (VA-20) in the domain of the Virginia Department of Transportation. The highway interchange itself is a formidable physical and psychological barrier--there are no sidewalks or bicycle infrastructure. There are multiple institutional landowners as well, most of whom would like to bridge the gap in bicycle and pedestrian access.
As part of its decennial regional multimodal review, the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission (TJPDC) sponsored this research to support local governments and stakeholders working to complete this connection.
Stakeholders requested five areas of investigation:
- Learn who uses the Saunders-Monticello Trail, how they use it, why they use it, and if there is demand for a connection to Charlottesville.
- Examine four alternate corridors identified in the localities’ Comprehensive Plans and provide a basis for comparison.
- Study examples of other trail projects, identify lessons learned, and possible resources.
- Explore implications for regional connectivity, economic and social impact, and educational programming.
- Recommend a path forward.
The research team reviewed applicable planning and transportation documents, subject-area literature, and case studies. We met regularly with stakeholders, technical experts, and community groups. We conducted a highly successful survey, with in-person and email components, which yielded 1,010 responses in 18 days. We looked at trail usership data from counting devices and performed geospatial analyses of the identified corridors.
Images: (Top) 1890 Charlottesville Land Company Map, showing several of the lost roads (dashed), and the path of Interstate 64. (Special Collections Library, University of Virginia via Scholars’ Lab).
(Bottom) Land ownership and municipal jurisdiction in the core study area. The green area is Charlottesville (or land owned by Charlottesville), the rest Albemarle County.
(Bottom) Land ownership and municipal jurisdiction in the core study area. The green area is Charlottesville (or land owned by Charlottesville), the rest Albemarle County.